Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Twilight had passed and the train was moving. Yan Zheke could not bear the tired feeling, so she fell asleep on her boyfriend’s shoulder.
Lou Cheng didn’t move his right shoulder. Using his left hand, he gently reached out and grabbed the backpack next to them. Then he opened the zipper, dragged out a coat, and covered Yan Zheke.
A man should always prevent their girlfriend from getting cold.
Also, high-speed bullet trains are always hot in winter and cold in summer!
Lou Cheng had taken his girlfriend’s travel habits into consideration. So, he did not want her to bear sitting on the train for several hours and proposed to fly home. But Yan Zheke refused, giving him an account of the time for both.
From the new campus of Song University to the airport, it takes nearly 50 minutes, almost the same as the train station. After arriving at the airport, you have to take a boarding card, check your baggage, go through the security, and do a series of other things. That will take an hour. Even if the aircraft can take off on time, it still needs at least two hours. And the destination is the capital Gaofen, which means you have to ride a train to reach Xiushan. Adding it all together, it’s at least five hours. And the high-speed rail from Songcheng directly to Xiushan, starting from the new campus, only requires six hours. And you do not need to be so removed. So it is obvious which is better.
When he returned to school previously, Lou Cheng chose a bullet train, which ran at night, in order to keep the taste of the food he was bringing. That naturally was not as fast as the high-speed rail.
The scene outside constantly swept by. Lou Cheng was a little bit excited, yet a little depressed.
The excitement was because he was homesick. He missed his father, mother, and everything in Xiushan. The melancholy was because once he went back to Xiushan, he could no longer be with Yan Zheke every day. She went south during the winter, which meant she did not see her relatives and friends for almost a year. So, there must be all kinds of parties. More importantly, she always had to accompany her parents, meaning she was not as free as at school.
Fortunately, they had agreed to exercise together every morning!
Lou Cheng’s thoughts flew even as the high-speed rail began to slow down. The radio announced they were arriving at the station.
“Next station, Xiushan!”
The long eyelashes of Yan Zheke trembled two times. Her eyes slowly opened, looking oblivious and bewilderment because she just woke up.
“Where are we now?”
“We will arrive soon.” Lou Cheng put his left hand into his pants pocket and took out a pack of paper towels.
Yan Zheke had just woken up, “huh”, she said, blushed, and let her boyfriend wipe her mouth.
Sleep drool again!
“Your T-shirt… ” She said, as her eyes turned and she saw the wet spot on Lou Cheng’s clothes. She could not help but smile, feeling a little embarrassed, but somehow a little prideful as well.
Lou Cheng was about to poke fun at her, but her cell phone played a cheerful ringtone.
“Empress Dowager… ” Yan Zheke shrank her neck as she spoke those two words after seeing the caller ID. Then she chose to answer.
“Hey, mother… I’ll arrive in a few minutes … You are waiting outside?… I know you love me the most.” Her face stretched, with a smile as she continued, “Well, the train is about to stop. I’ll get my suitcase first. Bye.”
“Poor me. No one to pick me up.” Lou Cheng made a self-deprecating comment after quietly listening.
They had no car, so there was no difference between picking him up or not. He’d be better of just taking a bus.
“Right, poor Cheng. Big sister will pick you up.” Yan Zheke answered with a smile, easily helping him sort out his collar.
Lou Cheng stood up with a smile. One hand per bag, he took down her tractor box and the big backpack, easily and steadily. The other passengers were all impressed.
This boy was not tall nor robust, but he was really powerful!
Carrying two bags, dragging the suitcase, holding Yan Zheke, Lou Cheng went through the door. He got off the platform, went through the gate, and arrived at the hall.
Yan Zheke stopped walking, with melancholy in her voice, she said, “Hand me my luggage.”
Having helped her carry the luggage, Lou Cheng waved. Enduring his dismay, he slightly smiled and said,
“See you.”
“See you tomorrow.” Yan Zheke said as she sighed and smiled.
Although they had made an appointment to exercise every morning, Lou Cheng felt the Empress Dowager would give them a hard time.
She dragged the suitcase a few steps away, stopped, and looked back at Lou Cheng. After hesitating for a few seconds, she waved her hand, turned back, and walked toward the outside of the hall.
Lou Cheng sighed, standing there, intending to wait for a while and then go out, so that he could avoid the embarrassment of meeting Empress Dowager.
More than a minute later, his cell phone rang.
Yan Zheke said with a “red face smile”, “I met Empress Dowager. You should also go home soon.”
“Relax, the bus doesn’t stop running until nine o’clock.” Lou Cheng replied while carrying his luggage out of the station.
Yan Zheke sent a “well-behaved sit” emoji, “In fact, I wanted to give you a farewell kiss… ”
“To the shy Little Ke, was this just about thinking?” Lou Cheng replied with a grinning face.
“Hey, you understand me very well.” Yan Zheke answered with “humming” emoji.
Having said a few words, the girl slowed down. Apparently, she was talking to her parents. Lou Cheng put the phone in his pocket. He sped up to catch up with the last bus.
He stood straight at the back door, holding Yin-Yang Stance, and took out his phone.
It was almost eight o’clock. He didn’t ask his mother to leave food for him, so he had to get something to eat by himself!
He had so many ways to eat his fill now that he was back in Xiushan.
Lou Cheng selected Qin Rui’s phone number from the address book and immediately called to see whether the old classmate was free.
Firstly, he would thank him for helping his cousin’s boyfriend join the ancient mountain martial arts club. Secondly, he would ask for a part-time job over the summer.
“Hey, Cheng, you are back?” From the other end of the phone, Qin Rui was very pleased to ask.
Lou Cheng smiled and said, “Yes. Just arrived in Xiushan, no food at home, I intended to eat outside. Are you free? Come eat with me?”
“Well, where do you want to go? There is a new Crayfish hall at Peace Bridge. It’s very good. You can try it.” Qin Rui did not hesitate to agree, although he had just had dinner at half past six.
After Dai Linfeng and other brothers witnessed Lou Cheng beat that Professional Ninth Pin, his position at the martial arts club unknowingly rose. He had never enjoyed such respect.
He deeply felt the fickleness of the world and the necessity of his own personal connections. No doubt, Lou Cheng was definitely the most worthy of good relations.
Lou Cheng laughed and said, “Let’s got there next time. I’m returning home after half a year, so I want to eat something familiar, like Old Liu Barbecue. Let’s meet there.”
“OK.” Qin Riu paused and said,” Your cousin is at the martial arts club. Should we invite her and Xiao Ding to come together?”
Ding Yanbo had joined the ancient mountain martial arts club for almost a month. Qin Rui naturally found out that he was not a family member of Lou Cheng, but the boyfriend of a family member of Lou Cheng.
“Feifei? Is she in Xiushan?” Lou Cheng surprisedly asked.
When did Qi Yunfei come to Xiushan from Ningshui?
Did my aunt say nothing about it?
Qi Yunfei achieved a normal result on the test in June. She failed to be admitted to Xiushan NO.1 and Ningshui NO.2, but fortunately, the score was very close. Lou Cheng’s aunt, Qi Yan, offered up the money to send her to Xiushan NO.1.
“Yes, she said these days she was living in your house.” Qin Rui smiled and answered.
“She lives at my house… Then I have to sleep on the sofa!” Lou Cheng did not expect that he would be the “king of the living room” the first day he came back. He felt both angry and amused as he replied, “That’s fine, you can tell them to come over. I will have a look at that dude!”
Also, he would say a few words so that Feifei would not abandon her studies.
…
When Lou Cheng arrived at the Old Liu Barbecue with his luggage, Qi Yunfei and her boyfriend were already waiting there. And Qin Rui would arrive a few minutes later because he came from his home.
Qi Yunfei was dressed like a popular little girl nowadays. She waved her hand lively.
“Brother Cheng! Brother Cheng! Here, here!”
Lou Cheng smiled and walked back. He looked over the young man who was called Ding Yanbo. He was more than 1.8 meters tall, which made a cute contrast with little Qi Yunfei. His look was not superior, only positive, with no hostility. His eyebrows were filled with this age-specific vigorous vitality.
“Grown-up girl, quietly going to Xiushan!” Lou Cheng arrived in front of them and set his backpack aside.
Qi Yunfei proudly laughed, then said, “What quietly? I told my mother that I would go to your house to play for a week!”
As for her sister, Chen Xiaoxiao, she was still struggling with class.
Then Qi Yunfei pulled Ding Yanbo, urging him she said, “Called him Brother Lou Cheng!”
Ding Yanbo had no way out. He embarrassedly shouted, “Brother Lou Cheng.”
“Sit down.” Lou Cheng pointed to the chair, casually asked, “You have been in the martial arts club for a month, right? How do you feel?”
He wanted to laugh after hearing these words. If Yan Zheke was here, he would have been happy as flowers. When did Cheng become so old-fashioned?
Sure enough, it was very different to be here with the identity of the brother!
Ding Yanbo stiffly replied, “So-so. I am tired, but I also feel that I have learned a lot of things. Brother Rui is serious, but he is also very kind to us.”
“That is not what you said before!” Qi Yunfei interrupted with laughter, “You said Brother Rui was always wearing a cold face and always beating you. That was not polite. How long since you changed your position?”
Ding Yanbo grabbed his chin, and said, “Now I understand that Brother Rui did that for our own good.”
“Being strict is good.” Lou Cheng agreed.
Qi Yunfei shrank her lips and said, “Brother Lou Cheng, you do not know how much he has changed over time. Brother Rui this, Brother Rui that. He was almost like Brother Rui’s shadow!”
“That was in order to learn martial arts better!” Ding Yanbo explained, “You do not know how powerful Brother Rui is. He can get ranked in the whole generation of Xiushan. Do you know the Greenskin from Ningshui County? What a powerful person! Brother Rui beat him with only a kick and a slap!”
“Greenskin? The Greenskin that came to our school to fight?” Qi Yunfei’s eyes widely opened, flashing different colors.
“Yes, that is him! In front of Brother Rui, he was obedient like a dog.” Ding Yanbo excitedly answered with a face of worship. Then he said, “Right, Brother Rui had just finished the Ranking Event and got the rank of Amateur First Pin!”
Qin Rui had passed the amateur ranking match in June? Lou Cheng pleasedly nodded his head.
At this time, he noticed the arrival of Qin Rui in advance. He waved and loudly shouted,
“Qin Rui, here!”
Ding Yanbo and Qi Yunfei saw Qin Rui walking towards them. He was more than 1.9 meters tall, like half of an iron tower.
They hurriedly stood up, then cautiously and fearfully said,
“Brother Rui… ”
Qin Rui smiled. He was about to speak. Suddenly he found the Qi of Lou Cheng was close to an upper limit, naturally revealing a sharp and strong feeling. He sat there quietly, but it was as if he was even taller than Rui.
Has he reached the peak? He was lost for a while. With a half bitter and half surprise expression, he laughed and said,
“Cheng, I was just about to call you Brother Lou.”
